1. Field of the Invention The invention pertains to wristbands having both moisture absorbing and friction enhancing characteristics to improve the grip of the athlete carrying the ball between the forearm and the body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wristbands are commonly worn by athletes for perspiration absorbing purposes. Such wristbands commonly consist of a tubular sleeve of elasticized moisture absorbing fabric such as terry cloth, and surround the forearm wrist region and are used by the athlete to wipe perspiration from the head and face, and are also used to absorb hand perspiration. Wristbands are commonly employed in most highly active sports such as tennis, basketball, baseball and football.
Friction enhancing gloves to improve the catching ability of football pass receivers often utilize friction enhancing materials, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,606,614; 4,881,276 and 5,146,628. Such devices are worn upon the athlete's hands and improve the engagement of the athlete's hands with a football in flight to reduce the likelihood of the ball slipping from the hands.
Also, it is known to impregnate a wristband with an anti-slip composition, such as of a sticky nature, wherein a tennis racket handle, or the like, may be rubbed on the wristband to improve the frictional characteristics of the handle as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,318.
When running with a football, the recommended technique is for the runner to hold the ball in the right or left hand close to the runner's upper torso or chest. The football will extend across the wrist area of the athlete, and by firmly nesting the football between the hand, arm and body, the likelihood of an opponent "stripping" the ball from the runner is reduced. However, as the runner is tackled, or the ball is attempted to be knocked from the runner's grip, it is not uncommon for the football to be inadvertently released or lost by the runner resulting in a possible turnover of the ball to the opponent. Prior to the advent of the instant invention, no friction enhancing apparatus has been available, other than of the aforementioned glove type, to reduce the likelihood of the football being lost by the runner.